"ACEnet provides support services to farmers markets associations in Ohio including the Athens Farmers Market, the Meigs County Farmers Market, the Perry County Farmers Market and the Ohio Farmers Market Network. This includes helping farmers market leaders strengthen governance and financial management, design vendor policies, recruit new farmers, implement marketing plans and social media promotions, and support young farmers in sustaining their businesses.

By helping these markets strengthen their operations, ACEnet had an important impact on larger local economies. Markets brought more foot traffic and economic support for downtown areas, which was hard to come by during COVID-19. According to ACEnet’s Director of Programs Leslie Schaller, markets even gained new customers during the pandemic and have maintained that business as communities have reopened. Markets are an overall win for communities, as shoppers were able to access healthy, local food during a global crisis, while keeping farmers and other entrepreneurs in business."

"Behind every strong market are local producers and food vendors. Often, behind those vendors are strong entrepreneurial incubators. Assisting food startups is a cornerstone of ACEnet’s work, with their team offering business planning, product development, label design & printing, nutritional facts panels, marketing, regional brand access and financial management.

ACEnet also manages the Athens Food Ventures Center licensed shared-use kitchen, the Nelsonville Business Center, and the Food & Farm Enterprise Center in Nelsonville that houses licensed meat & produce processing facilities. 

For many of the food entrepreneurs incubating with ACEnet, farmers markets are their first direct experience with customers. These regular interactions with community members allow businesses to get feedback, adjust products, and gain more operational experience and brand exposure, all of which will help them expand into larger markets and retail outlets.  

Strengthening local food means supporting core elements of the supply chain – especially the markets and local vendors who fill the tables each week. Thanks to the work of ACEnet, local food systems in Appalachian Ohio were able to step up in a crisis and offer a place where shoppers to purchase the food they need, farmers and vendors remain in business, and the entire community could find a source of strength."

For full article: ACEnet: Empowering Local Food Entrepreneurs

Photo Credit: ACEnet Multimedia Designer Delia Palmisano

Destination Shawnee will be starting their First Friday Farmers Market and Shawnee Second Saturdays back up in May!

Any food trucks, farmers, artists, crafters and vendors that are interested in setting up, please call or text them at 740-856-8253 or email at destinationshawnee@gmail.com.

Ohio's Winding Road Spring Marketplace opened on April 2nd! 

Get 20% off your order by signing up for their "Sharing Our Appalachia" Newsletter at: https://ohioswindingroad.org/sign-up-for-the-sharing-our-appalachia-newsletter/

ACEnet's 4th free Women in Business conference will unite women entrepreneurs in all stages of business development for a one day conference that will focus on three main objectives: professional development, personal development, and networking with other women who own and operate small businesses.

With sessions designed give new businesses a great start and mature businesses the tools they need to expand & grow, and much more, this conference will prove to be an asset to any woman, in any stage of business development.

Sneak peek at this year's conference:

Join Carleen Dotson from OU SBDC to learn about building your business team, who you need in your corner & why, and Donna Russell from OUCU to learn about preparing your business to be successful in securing a loan/financing.

Dr. Kristyn Neckles is our 2022 Keynote Speaker and she will be leading an excellent session on resiliency.

The "We Did It, So Can You" panel returns! This an opportunity to hear from some remarkable women business owners in our community and learn how they came to be where they are today.

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The SE Ohio Hope Center Recovery Community Organization (RCO) Grand Opening Reception scheduled for April 29th from 3pm - 6pm at The Hocking Makerspace (Visual Arts Center) on the Hocking College Campus.

This is the first RCO in Southern Ohio, and the first collaboration between an RCO and higher education in the state!

 

The reception will include RCO - INSPIRE grant program information, and speakers from Ohio University, Hocking College, SE Ohio Hope Center, as well as the Chancellor's office, and ACEnet Board member Cale Burke. There will also be makerspace demonstrations, and hors d'oeuvres, & beverages. Community resource vendor tables will also be present to share their organizational information.

UpBEAT programs continue to be virtual at this time. In April, the UpBEAT Exercise class will meet weekly on every Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. Additionally, we are continuing our Coping Series and Technology for All Series. We will learn more about art therapy during our Coping Series and will learn more about connecting with loved ones through technology during our Technology for All Series. Additionally, we have a program planned reviewing best practices for Medicare and for keeping health information safe. For our monthly History Group, we will be joined by a guest speaker from the Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park to share The Story of the Blennerhassett’s.

If you're 55+, connect with UpBEAT! https://www.ohiohealth.com/health-and-wellness/upbeat-program-athens You can also call Caitlin Bond, UpBEAT Program Coordinator, at (740) 566-4680 for more info or to receive the UpBEAT newsletter.